Thursday Evenings at All Hallows (Thursday, April 11, 2024)
Welcome to Thursday evenings at All Hallows.
The Season of Easter is not only a season in which Christians celebrate Jesus’ victory over death but also a season in which Christians recommit themselves to the mission which Jesus entrusted to his disciples. This mission can be broken down into three tasks. The first is to represent Jesus in the world, to the rest of humanity. The second is what is known as the Great Commission: it is to spread the good news of Jesus, to make disciples of all people groups, to baptize them, and teach them what Jesus commanded. The third task is to exemplify what it means to live the Great Commandment—to love God with the totality of our being and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.
GATHER IN GOD’S NAME
Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth;
serve God with gladness.
Come before him, singing for joy.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Keith and Kristyn Getty’s “Come Let Us Sing to the One.”
Verse 1
Come, let us sing to the One
To the Father of life,
For His light fills the earth like the sun;
Come, tell of the wonders He's done.
Great is the world He has made,
Are the mysteries untold,
Is His measureless power of old;
Come, come let us sing to our God.
Chorus
To our God, who is able
To strengthen us in His grace,
Beyond all we imagine,
Be all glory and praise,
Be all praise.
Verse 2
Come, let us sing to the One,
To the Saviour of life,
Find the fullness of God in the Son;
Come, tell of the wonders He's done.
Wild is the mercy of Christ,
Is the richness of grace,
Is the unending life we embrace;
Come, come let us sing to our God.
Chorus
To our God, who is able
To strengthen us in His grace,
Beyond all we imagine,
Be all glory and praise,
Be all praise.
Verse 3
Come, let us sing to the One,
To the Spirit of life,
Leading us in the way of the Son;
Come, tell of the wonders He's done.
Strong is the Spirit within,
Is the boldness to speak,
Is the power to run when we're weak;
Come, come let us sing to our God.
Christ is with us!
He is with us indeed!
In penitence and faith we come before God.
Let us confess our sins.
Gracious God, Creator and Father,
we come before you a rebellious people.
we have denied your intentions for us;
we have preferred our way to Christ’s way;
we have disobeyed your commandments;
And we have worshiped ourselves and th things we have made.
Forgive us,
restore us in the knowledge of who we are,
and make us alive to serve you in faith, obedience, and joy;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Hear the promises of God: “Ask and it will be given to you;
Seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins.”
Praise the Lord.
The Lord be praised.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Keith and Kristyn Getty’s “Light of God.”
Chorus
Holy Spirit break though our darkness
Holy Spirit breathe through our lives
Light of God come radiant and glorious
Perfect wisdom in this world today
Verse 1
Light of God
Come dwell within Your people
As intended from the dawn of time
Make Your goodness
Echoed through creation our desire
Joy of the Divine
Chorus
Holy Spirit break though our darkness
Holy Spirit breathe through our lives
Light of God come radiant and glorious
Perfect wisdom in this world today
Verse 2
Light of God
Come to Your fallen people
As we follow in the steps of Christ
May Your fragrance beautify Your people
As we mirror our Creator's light
Holy Spirit break though our darkness
Holy Spirit breathe through our lives
Light of God come radiant and glorious
Perfect wisdom in this world today
Verse 2
Light of God
Come to Your fallen people
As we follow in the steps of Christ
May Your fragrance beautify Your people
As we mirror our Creator's light
Chorus
Holy Spirit break though our darkness
Holy Spirit breathe through our lives
Light of God come radiant and glorious
Perfect wisdom in this world today
Verse 3
Light of God
Come claim Christ's stolen glory
Burn the shadows with the flame of truth
May Your church rise
Stars within the darkness
Giving glory to the Lord of light
Holy Spirit break though our darkness
Holy Spirit breathe through our lives
Light of God come radiant and glorious
Perfect wisdom in this world today
Verse 3
Light of God
Come claim Christ's stolen glory
Burn the shadows with the flame of truth
May Your church rise
Stars within the darkness
Giving glory to the Lord of light
Chorus
Holy Spirit break though our darkness
Holy Spirit breathe through our lives
Light of God come radiant and glorious
Perfect wisdom in this world today
Verse 4
Light Divine
Come Father of all beauty
Son of goodness Spirit of all truth
Move us use us
People of Your vision
As we wait for our returning King
Holy Spirit break though our darkness
Holy Spirit breathe through our lives
Light of God come radiant and glorious
Perfect wisdom in this world today
Verse 4
Light Divine
Come Father of all beauty
Son of goodness Spirit of all truth
Move us use us
People of Your vision
As we wait for our returning King
Chorus
Holy Spirit break though our darkness
Holy Spirit breathe through our lives
Light of God come radiant and glorious
Perfect wisdom in this world today
THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD
Eternal God,
In the reading of the scripture, may your word be heard;
In the meditations of our hearts, may your word be known;
In the faithfulness of our lives, may your word be shown. Amen.
A reading from the New Testament (2 Timothy 2:14-26)
Remind your people of this, and give them a solemn warning in God's presence not to fight over words. It does no good, but only ruins the people who listen. Do your best to win full approval in God's sight, as a worker who is not ashamed of his work, one who correctly teaches the message of God's truth. Keep away from profane and foolish discussions, which only drive people farther away from God. Such teaching is like an open sore that eats away the flesh. Two men who have taught such things are Hymenaeus and Philetus. They have left the way of truth and are upsetting the faith of some believers by saying that our resurrection has already taken place. But the solid foundation that God has laid cannot be shaken; and on it are written these words: “The Lord knows those who are his” and “Those who say that they belong to the Lord must turn away from wrongdoing.”
In a large house there are dishes and bowls of all kinds: some are made of silver and gold, others of wood and clay; some are for special occasions, others for ordinary use. Those who make themselves clean from all those evil things, will be used for special purposes, because they are dedicated and useful to their Master, ready to be used for every good deed. Avoid the passions of youth, and strive for righteousness, faith, love, and peace, together with those who with a pure heart call out to the Lord for help. But keep away from foolish and ignorant arguments; you know that they end up in quarrels. As the Lord's servant, you must not quarrel. You must be kind toward all, a good and patient teacher, who is gentle as you correct your opponents, for it may be that God will give them the opportunity to repent and come to know the truth. And then they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the Devil, who had caught them and made them obey his will.
Silence
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church.
Thanks be to God.
I thought of a passage from this evening’s reading when I read the lyrics of the last stanza of the Hillsong praise and worship song, “King of Kings.”
"By His blood and in His Name
In His freedom I am free
For the love of Jesus Christ
Who has resurrected me"
The song has a lively beat and other characteristics which make it attractive to worship teams. Hillsong praise and worship songs enjoy considerable popularity and comprise a large part of Sunday fare of a number of large churches and that of smaller churches trying to imitate their worship. I had to ask myself, however, “Did the three people who wrote the song understand what they were saying when they wrote it?” “Did they realize how vocalists singing the song might interpret their words? Congregations?”
The words they used in the last line could be understood figuratively. But they also be understood literally. The song does not make clear what they mean.
If the words are understood literally, then the last line is not scriptural. Indeed, they express a belief which the apostle Paul identifies in his second letter to Timothy as a false teaching, that is, the belief that the resurrection has already occurred.
The words we use in hymns, worship songs, anthems and other forms of church music, sermons, talks, and prayers do matter. So do the words we use in spiritual conversations with others. It is important to make clear what we mean. We cannot assume others will know what we mean. When we use a word unless it is very clear from the context how we are using it, we need to explain how we are using the word.
In this evening’s reading Paul instructs his protégé Timothy to warn people against fighting over words. People fight over words in a number of ways. They quarrel over what was said and what was meant. They may use the same words but give them different meanings and insist that the meaning they have given a word is its true meaning. They may say something and then deny that they said it. They may insist that the other person imagined it.
Paul warns Timothy not let himself be drawn into what he describes as “foolish and ignorant arguments,” which he points out quickly turn into quarrels. He gives this advice to Timothy, advice we would do well to heed ourselves regardless of our position in a local church. It is good advice to all followers of Jesus Christ as well as pastors and other church leaders.
“As the Lord's servant, you must not quarrel. You must be kind toward all, a good and patient teacher, who is gentle as you correct your opponents, for it may be that God will give them the opportunity to repent and come to know the truth.”
Church leaders and other Christians who are always eager to fight and to argue are not likely to gain a hearing from others. They may browbeat others into silence, but silence is not agreement. People are more likely to listen to us if we listen to them.
Learning to actively listen to others is a communication skill that every Christian needs to learn. The VeryWellMind article, “7 Active Listening Techniques For Better Communication,” describes the basic techniques of active listening. They are:
· Being fully present in the conversation
· Showing interest by practicing good eye contact
· Noticing (and using) non-verbal cues
· Asking open-ended questions to encourage further responses
· Paraphrasing and reflecting back what has been said
· Listening to understand rather than to respond
· Withholding judgment and advice
You can read the entire article at https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-active-listening-3024343.
Active listening will help to improve Christians’ communication with the unchurched as well as each other. Researchers have found that the unchurched are more receptive to hear Christians out if Christians are willing to hear them out. Better communication skills can also help Christians overcome non-Christians’ misperceptions of them.
Better communication skills can foster the kind of unity among Christians and in the local church for which our Lord prayed on the night of his arrest:
“I pray not only for them, but also for those who believe in me because of their message. I pray that they may all be one. Father! May they be in us, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they be one, so that the world will believe that you sent me. I gave them the same glory you gave me, so that they may be one, just as you and I are one: I in them and you in me, so that they may be completely one, in order that the world may know that you sent me and that you love them as you love me." John 17: 20-23
It is a prayer that all who are committed to Christ’s mission will make their own.
Silence
Let us affirm with Christians across the ages what we believe about God
and his love for us.
We believe in one God,
who made us and loves all that is.
We believe in Jesus Christ,
God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was born, lived, died and rose again,
and is coming to call all to account.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
who calls, equips and sends out God’s people,
and brings all things to their true end.
This is our faith, the faith of the Church:
We believe in one God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Christy Nockels’ “By Our Love.”
Verse 1
Brothers, let us come together
Walking in the Spirit, there's much to be done
We will come reaching, out from our comforts
And they will know us by our love
Verse 2
Sisters, we were made for kindness
We can pierce the darkness as He shines through us
We will come reaching, with a song of healing
And they will know us by our love
Chorus
The time is now
Come Church arise
Love with His hands
See with His eyes
Bind it around you,
Let it never leave you,
And they will know us by our love
Verse 3
Children, You are hope for justice,
Stand firm in the Truth now, set your hearts above
You will be reaching, long after we're gone,
And they will know you by your love
Chorus
The time is now
Come Church arise
Love with His hands
See with His eyes
Bind it around you,
Let it never leave you,
And they will know us by our love
The time is now
Come Church arise
Love with His hands
See with His eyes
Bind it around you,
Let it never leave you,
And they will know us by our love
THE MINISTRY OF PRAYER
Let us pray for the Church and the world.
Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
you promised through your Son Jesus Christ
to hear the prayers of those who ask in faith.
Lord of your people:
strengthen your Church in all the world …
renew the life of this [diocese] [annual conference] …
bless .... our bishop, and build us up in faith and love.
Lord of creation:
look with favour on the world you have made,
guide the nations in the ways of justice and of peace,
and bless [ Canada: Charles our King, the leaders of the nations,
and all in authority] [United States: our President, .... .... ,
the leaders of the nations, and all in authority].
Lord of our relationships:
comfort and sustain the communities in which we live and work …
help us to love our neighbours as ourselves,
Enable us to serve our families and friends
and to love one another as you love us.
Lord of all healing:
relieve and protect those who are sick or suffering,
be with those who have any special need …
and deliver all who know danger, violence or oppression.
Lord of eternity:
bind us together by your Holy Spirit,
in communion with .... and all who, having confessed the Faith,
have died in the peace of Christ, that we may entrust ourselves,
and one another, and our whole life to you, Lord God,
and come with all your saints to the joys of your eternal kingdom.
Amen.
As our Savior taught his disciples, we pray
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
THE SENDING FORTH OF GOD’S PEOPLE
In darkness and in light,
in trouble and in joy,
help us, heavenly Father,
to trust your love,
to serve your purpose,
and to praise your name,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
May the almighty and merciful God,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
bless us and keep us
now and forever. Amen.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Laura Woodley Osman’s “Wisdom Song.”
The fear of the Lord
Is where wisdom starts
Above all else please guard your heart
For out of your heart flow the issues of life
It matters how you spend your time
There is a path that leads to life
A narrow way only few find
Meditate on God's word in the day in the night
You'll know blessings of every kind
Like a tree planted by water
Shall you be son, daughter
You'll bear fruit in season
You'll prosper, like a tree planted by water
Remember to pray
In everything
Holy Spirit is here
Only believe
Supernatural life is yours everyday
Miracles in Jesus name
Do what is good
Do what is right
Flee from evil with all your might
Guard your ears
Guard your eyes
You have the mind of Christ
Like a tree planted by water
Shall you be son, daughter
You'll bear fruit in season
You'll prosper, like a tree planted by water
Forgive yourself
Forgive your family
Forgive your friends
Forgive your enemies
Do justice, love mercy
Walk humbly with your God
Remove offense
Make peace
Do not judge
Forgive yourself
Forgive your family
Forgive your friends
Forgive your enemies
Do justice, love mercy
Walk humbly with your God
Remove offense
Make peace
Do not judge
Like a tree planted by water
Shall you be son, daughter
You'll bear fruit in season
You'll prosper, like a tree planted by water
Those present may exchange a sign of peace.
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.
Holy Spirit break though our darkness
Holy Spirit breathe through our lives
Light of God come radiant and glorious
Perfect wisdom in this world today
THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD
Eternal God,
In the reading of the scripture, may your word be heard;
In the meditations of our hearts, may your word be known;
In the faithfulness of our lives, may your word be shown. Amen.
A reading from the New Testament (2 Timothy 2:14-26)
Remind your people of this, and give them a solemn warning in God's presence not to fight over words. It does no good, but only ruins the people who listen. Do your best to win full approval in God's sight, as a worker who is not ashamed of his work, one who correctly teaches the message of God's truth. Keep away from profane and foolish discussions, which only drive people farther away from God. Such teaching is like an open sore that eats away the flesh. Two men who have taught such things are Hymenaeus and Philetus. They have left the way of truth and are upsetting the faith of some believers by saying that our resurrection has already taken place. But the solid foundation that God has laid cannot be shaken; and on it are written these words: “The Lord knows those who are his” and “Those who say that they belong to the Lord must turn away from wrongdoing.”
In a large house there are dishes and bowls of all kinds: some are made of silver and gold, others of wood and clay; some are for special occasions, others for ordinary use. Those who make themselves clean from all those evil things, will be used for special purposes, because they are dedicated and useful to their Master, ready to be used for every good deed. Avoid the passions of youth, and strive for righteousness, faith, love, and peace, together with those who with a pure heart call out to the Lord for help. But keep away from foolish and ignorant arguments; you know that they end up in quarrels. As the Lord's servant, you must not quarrel. You must be kind toward all, a good and patient teacher, who is gentle as you correct your opponents, for it may be that God will give them the opportunity to repent and come to know the truth. And then they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the Devil, who had caught them and made them obey his will.
Silence
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church.
Thanks be to God.
The Words We Use Matter
I thought of a passage from this evening’s reading when I read the lyrics of the last stanza of the Hillsong praise and worship song, “King of Kings.”
"By His blood and in His Name
In His freedom I am free
For the love of Jesus Christ
Who has resurrected me"
The song has a lively beat and other characteristics which make it attractive to worship teams. Hillsong praise and worship songs enjoy considerable popularity and comprise a large part of Sunday fare of a number of large churches and that of smaller churches trying to imitate their worship. I had to ask myself, however, “Did the three people who wrote the song understand what they were saying when they wrote it?” “Did they realize how vocalists singing the song might interpret their words? Congregations?”
The words they used in the last line could be understood figuratively. But they also be understood literally. The song does not make clear what they mean.
If the words are understood literally, then the last line is not scriptural. Indeed, they express a belief which the apostle Paul identifies in his second letter to Timothy as a false teaching, that is, the belief that the resurrection has already occurred.
The words we use in hymns, worship songs, anthems and other forms of church music, sermons, talks, and prayers do matter. So do the words we use in spiritual conversations with others. It is important to make clear what we mean. We cannot assume others will know what we mean. When we use a word unless it is very clear from the context how we are using it, we need to explain how we are using the word.
In this evening’s reading Paul instructs his protégé Timothy to warn people against fighting over words. People fight over words in a number of ways. They quarrel over what was said and what was meant. They may use the same words but give them different meanings and insist that the meaning they have given a word is its true meaning. They may say something and then deny that they said it. They may insist that the other person imagined it.
Paul warns Timothy not let himself be drawn into what he describes as “foolish and ignorant arguments,” which he points out quickly turn into quarrels. He gives this advice to Timothy, advice we would do well to heed ourselves regardless of our position in a local church. It is good advice to all followers of Jesus Christ as well as pastors and other church leaders.
“As the Lord's servant, you must not quarrel. You must be kind toward all, a good and patient teacher, who is gentle as you correct your opponents, for it may be that God will give them the opportunity to repent and come to know the truth.”
Church leaders and other Christians who are always eager to fight and to argue are not likely to gain a hearing from others. They may browbeat others into silence, but silence is not agreement. People are more likely to listen to us if we listen to them.
Learning to actively listen to others is a communication skill that every Christian needs to learn. The VeryWellMind article, “7 Active Listening Techniques For Better Communication,” describes the basic techniques of active listening. They are:
· Being fully present in the conversation
· Showing interest by practicing good eye contact
· Noticing (and using) non-verbal cues
· Asking open-ended questions to encourage further responses
· Paraphrasing and reflecting back what has been said
· Listening to understand rather than to respond
· Withholding judgment and advice
You can read the entire article at https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-active-listening-3024343.
Active listening will help to improve Christians’ communication with the unchurched as well as each other. Researchers have found that the unchurched are more receptive to hear Christians out if Christians are willing to hear them out. Better communication skills can also help Christians overcome non-Christians’ misperceptions of them.
Better communication skills can foster the kind of unity among Christians and in the local church for which our Lord prayed on the night of his arrest:
“I pray not only for them, but also for those who believe in me because of their message. I pray that they may all be one. Father! May they be in us, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they be one, so that the world will believe that you sent me. I gave them the same glory you gave me, so that they may be one, just as you and I are one: I in them and you in me, so that they may be completely one, in order that the world may know that you sent me and that you love them as you love me." John 17: 20-23
It is a prayer that all who are committed to Christ’s mission will make their own.
Silence
Let us affirm with Christians across the ages what we believe about God
and his love for us.
We believe in one God,
who made us and loves all that is.
We believe in Jesus Christ,
God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was born, lived, died and rose again,
and is coming to call all to account.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
who calls, equips and sends out God’s people,
and brings all things to their true end.
This is our faith, the faith of the Church:
We believe in one God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Christy Nockels’ “By Our Love.”
Verse 1
Brothers, let us come together
Walking in the Spirit, there's much to be done
We will come reaching, out from our comforts
And they will know us by our love
Verse 2
Sisters, we were made for kindness
We can pierce the darkness as He shines through us
We will come reaching, with a song of healing
And they will know us by our love
Chorus
The time is now
Come Church arise
Love with His hands
See with His eyes
Bind it around you,
Let it never leave you,
And they will know us by our love
Verse 3
Children, You are hope for justice,
Stand firm in the Truth now, set your hearts above
You will be reaching, long after we're gone,
And they will know you by your love
Chorus
The time is now
Come Church arise
Love with His hands
See with His eyes
Bind it around you,
Let it never leave you,
And they will know us by our love
The time is now
Come Church arise
Love with His hands
See with His eyes
Bind it around you,
Let it never leave you,
And they will know us by our love
THE MINISTRY OF PRAYER
Let us pray for the Church and the world.
Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
you promised through your Son Jesus Christ
to hear the prayers of those who ask in faith.
Lord of your people:
strengthen your Church in all the world …
renew the life of this [diocese] [annual conference] …
bless .... our bishop, and build us up in faith and love.
Lord of creation:
look with favour on the world you have made,
guide the nations in the ways of justice and of peace,
and bless [ Canada: Charles our King, the leaders of the nations,
and all in authority] [United States: our President, .... .... ,
the leaders of the nations, and all in authority].
Lord of our relationships:
comfort and sustain the communities in which we live and work …
help us to love our neighbours as ourselves,
Enable us to serve our families and friends
and to love one another as you love us.
Lord of all healing:
relieve and protect those who are sick or suffering,
be with those who have any special need …
and deliver all who know danger, violence or oppression.
Lord of eternity:
bind us together by your Holy Spirit,
in communion with .... and all who, having confessed the Faith,
have died in the peace of Christ, that we may entrust ourselves,
and one another, and our whole life to you, Lord God,
and come with all your saints to the joys of your eternal kingdom.
Amen.
As our Savior taught his disciples, we pray
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
THE SENDING FORTH OF GOD’S PEOPLE
In darkness and in light,
in trouble and in joy,
help us, heavenly Father,
to trust your love,
to serve your purpose,
and to praise your name,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
May the almighty and merciful God,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
bless us and keep us
now and forever. Amen.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Laura Woodley Osman’s “Wisdom Song.”
The fear of the Lord
Is where wisdom starts
Above all else please guard your heart
For out of your heart flow the issues of life
It matters how you spend your time
There is a path that leads to life
A narrow way only few find
Meditate on God's word in the day in the night
You'll know blessings of every kind
Like a tree planted by water
Shall you be son, daughter
You'll bear fruit in season
You'll prosper, like a tree planted by water
Remember to pray
In everything
Holy Spirit is here
Only believe
Supernatural life is yours everyday
Miracles in Jesus name
Do what is good
Do what is right
Flee from evil with all your might
Guard your ears
Guard your eyes
You have the mind of Christ
Like a tree planted by water
Shall you be son, daughter
You'll bear fruit in season
You'll prosper, like a tree planted by water
Forgive yourself
Forgive your family
Forgive your friends
Forgive your enemies
Do justice, love mercy
Walk humbly with your God
Remove offense
Make peace
Do not judge
Forgive yourself
Forgive your family
Forgive your friends
Forgive your enemies
Do justice, love mercy
Walk humbly with your God
Remove offense
Make peace
Do not judge
Like a tree planted by water
Shall you be son, daughter
You'll bear fruit in season
You'll prosper, like a tree planted by water
Those present may exchange a sign of peace.
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.
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